CLINTON TWP — While much of the state Department of Transportation’s focus on infrastructure work in Butler County is in Cranberry Township, officials say there are plans for needed development in the southeastern corner of the county as well.

But the state just needs to find the money to pay for it.

Officials from PennDOT, the Southwest Planning Commission and state Sen. Don White, R-41st, on Tuesday reviewed plans with leaders from multiple southeastern municipalities at a meeting at the township building.

The state leaders said despite an increase in transportation funding through state Act 89 of 2013, there remains limited state and federal funding for road improvement projects — meaning certain projects must be given priority over others.

“A lot of our upcoming projects are on the Cranberry end of the county,” said Joe Dubovi, PennDOT District 10 executive.

“That’s where there is the most congestion, the highest population and the most vehicles. Those are all factors in determining what projects will be addressed next.”

PennDOT has numerous high-cost projects lined up across Route 228 in Cranberry, Adams and Middlesex townships.

Brian Allen, assistant district executive of design, said the state is looking to expand much of that highway to four lanes during the next several years due to the rapidly increasing traffic there. The state also plans extensive work on Interstate 79 in Cranberry.

But southeastern municipalities are having an increase in traffic as well.

“I think it is important for all of us to realize changes do occur,” said Kathy Allen, a Clinton Township supervisor who organized the meeting. “We’re a municipality of about 3,000 people, but right through the heart of our township is a road carrying tens of thousands of people every day.”

While Cranberry’s development will be a point of interest for the future, state leaders said the southeast section of the county will have work done as well.

“We need to evaluate what’s planned for the region’s infrastructure as it stands today,” said White, whose district includes Buffalo, Middlesex and Clinton townships in Butler County. “The main arteries through here are Routes 356 and 228. We need to prioritize these roads for long-term improvements.”

Perhaps the biggest planned project in Clinton Township next year is the proposed roundabout at the intersection of Route 228 and Saxonburg Boulevard.

The project is expected to cost $2.5 million to $5 million. Construction is slated to begin in 2016 and will take about a year to complete, Brian Allen said.

“It’s the first one we’re building in the district,” he said, noting Cranberry has a roundabout on a local road and it will build another itself on a state road.

Brian Allen said the roundabout is a good solution to the intersection in Clinton Township.

“We looked over half a dozen options but couldn’t get traffic to flow the way we wanted,” Brian Allen said. “The township liked the roundabout and it solved our traffic problem. It’s a very difficult intersection.”

Brian Allen said the forked intersection is in the middle of difficult terrain to design around.

He added it took years of planning to find a solution.

“It was harder than we expected,” he said.

Route 28 in the corner of Buffalo Township and South Buffalo Township in Armstrong County will undergo preventive maintenance this year.

A number of bridges in the area will be renovated this summer as part of the state’s massive public-private partnership with Plenary Walsh Keystone.

The conglomerate will replace the Saxonburg Boulevard bridge over Bull Creek in Clinton Township, the Caldwell Drive Bridge over a tributary of Thorn Creek in Jefferson Township and the Cruikshank Road bridge over a tributary of Glade Run near the border of Adams and Middlesex townships.

But community leaders are looking for bigger improvements to the state’s roads to accommodate increased traffic, particularly on Routes 228 and 356.

Buffalo Township Chairman John Haven asked what plans the state has for Route 356.

“We want to be proactive in preparing for the future development in the area,” he said.

Doug Smith, the transportation planning director for the Southwest Planning Commission, said other improvements to Route 228 and to Route 356 likely will be included in the second stage of the state’s long-term transportation plan, which includes work after 2019.

However, he stressed it takes time to develop the projects and get them completed.

“The dilemma we have is we only have about $22 (million) to $25 million per year in Butler County for the TIP,” he said. “We have some good projects in mind, but it takes a while to get these other projects off the list.”

Smith said the Southwest Planning Commission looks at the regional need when helping determine projects.

“We like to step back and look at the big picture of what we’re trying to accomplish regionally,” he said. “Our long-term plan goes to 2040.”

Brian Allen said the state will do studies on the area in the near future.

“We want to do the right thing for the entire corridor,” he said. “We have to do what makes sense on a larger scale. That could be several smaller projects like on Route 228.”